Suicide Argumentative Analysis

Suicide is the intentional termination of one's own life with the objective being to cease living. For the purposes of this essay, self-sacrifice, or suicide for the sake of others, will not be considered a form of suicide as in that situation the individual does not possess the desire to die, they are instead putting the lives of others above their own. The standard position on suicide holds that all suicides are immoral and irrational except for in cases of terminal illness. This position on suicide is too restrictive and dismisses the suffering others experiences in instances beyond terminal illness. There are extreme situations in which most would agree that suicide is an acceptable choice. For example, someone trapped in a fire or subjected
to torture. Obviously, these types of events are not commonplace in the average person's life, but there are situations that are. I will argue that there are other instances in which suicide is a rational decision, including old age, chronic pain and irreversible paralysis. The idea that suicide is inherently wrong is a generalization that lacks sufficient defense. The theological reasoning against is only acceptable proof for those who subscribe to the belief that God determines what is morally acceptable. The natural law argument implies that we should use “natural inclination” as a guide, which is obviously false. The social harm arguments rests on future events that can't be determined (Brandt). The standard position allows suicide in cases of terminal illness as the individual is destined to die relatively soon regardless of the actions they take, making suicide a way to end their suffering sooner and potentially spare their loved ones of additional expenses. This position appears to have two basic criteria, that death is unavoidable for the individual and that suicide will end their suffering. Terminal illness is not the only situation that meets these requirements, the same criteria can be used to defend old age suicides. The same reasoning that justifies suicide in cases of terminal illness applies to old age suicides. In both cases, death will come relatively soon regardless of if the individual chooses to take their own life. A suicide would serve to protect that individual from continued suffering, loss of dignity, humiliation and expenses. Additionally, with old age, a loss of mental faculties is almost guaranteed, whether it's from a disease such as Alzheimer's, or simply slower processing skills as a result of the deterioration of brain function. An elderly individual may decide that they want to end their life while they as still fully aware of themselves, making a choice before they lose the ability make choices altogether. The older a person gets, the less autonomy they have and there is no hope for improvement as their independence will continue to decline until their “natural death.” Making inevitable death a part of the criteria for a socially acceptable suicide implies that death is the worst thing that can happen to an individual and that claim seems subjective. Imagine an individual with chronic pain who has attempted to treat their pain, but has found no medication or treatment to alleviate their suffering. Chronic pain may not be fatal, but is does severely impact the individual's quality of life and has no cure. Having to live every day in pain would most likely limit what that individual can accomplish. It seems very reasonable to not want to live a life of constant suffering as that really isn't much of a life. Should this individual decide to take their life, it would be a perfectly reasonable and rational response to their situation. Another situation in which an individual's quality of life is permanently changed for the worse would be irreversible paralysis. For someone in this state, their suffering comes from loss of dignity, the loss of autonomy and total dependence on a caregiver. Expecting someone to accept a life of virtually no independence is unreasonable. A person in this situation may decide their life is not worth living and it seems ridiculous for someone one to tell them they're wrong without having any way of knowing what it is truly like to live that way. When in comes to suicide, there seems to be a divide between rationality and morality.
Morality is such a subjective concept and it often depends on the fundamental beliefs every person has. Rationality and morality can be mutually exclusive. Arguing for the rationality of suicide in certain cases is far easier than attempting to defend its morality to the individualized morals others have. However, I would argue that no matter how immoral suicide may be, it would be more immoral to sentence an individual to an existence of unending pain and/or suffering, their only escape being their “natural death” which could take years to arrive. Furthermore, a suicide is such a personal and intimate decision, and when chosen rationally, depends on a specific circumstance a person is in. An outside party with no measure of the suffering that person is experiencing really has no grounds to tell them what is morally
acceptable. Suicide becomes irrational when it is triggered by a temporary state of suffering, such as depression, some form of loss, or an injury. In these instances, a person's ability to make a rational decision is compromised resulting in a choice they would not normally make. In reality, the majority of suicides follow this model, brought about by depression of some other temporary impairment (Mental Health Daily). However simply because the majority or suicides are irrational doesn't mean all suicides have no reason behind them. An individual choosing to commit suicide to end inescapable suffering would be a rational choice, and even a moral one depending on a persons own definition of morality. The discussion of suicide tends to awaken people's sensitivities.
Everyone comes to the table with their own beliefs, some religiously backed, others from personal experiences leading to serious divisions in opinion. It is extremely important to keep the dialogue open and to be able to truly acknowledge the complexities of every person's situation that may lead them to consider suicide. No one should be scorned for rationally choosing an option that would end their suffering, nor should their loved ones have to feel ashamed of their decision in addition to the grief that comes with any death no matter the circumstance. Suicide doesn't have to be evil, for those suffering, it can be their only form of
escape.